J.C. Romero as well -- I'm remembering him as a good pitcher, but evidently he's gone downhill some and has never had great control.

SoSH is having a conversation on the bullpen and who could be in it. Looks like a lot of mediocore guys competing for a few spaces and no closer yet, but -- at least we'll have options. It can't be worse than last year.

I don't buy that about Papelbon. So if he fails as a starter, he's just forced to retire? Because he, unlike everyone else, just can't possibly pitch more than exactly once every five days? Is there nothing he can do to pitch more than that? With all these doctors and trainers know? We've got possibly the best closer in the league. I think we should keep him right where he is.

Boy, after this sordid display, I'm not taking ANY crap about my next song parody.

"KOZA?"

Z: with very few exceptions, nobody can predict from season to season which relief pitchers will be outstanding and which will be mediocre. But Brendon Donnelly so far in his career has definitely NOT been mediocre. Any pitcher who averages a K an inning with an ERA under 3.00 is a candidate to close.

And if Hansen and Delcarmen turn out to be just mediocre, I'll be even more steamed at Theo for not addressing the teams weaknesses last July than I am now. My bet is that at least one of them emerge as a legitimate relief star in '07.

Meanwhile,casey,I'll wait to see how Pedroia, Varitek, Lester, Schilling, Lugo,Crisp and Closer X look in the Spring before making my next idiotic forcast.